After Our Eyes Met

Chapter Two

The sound of thunder and waves hitting the shore echoed throughout the stone tower.

While Hollyn stared at the ceiling Harry drew a cake with candles n the dirt. When he finished he elbowed for her attention.

She rolled over and looked at his drawing. Suddenly Dudley's watch sounded on the hour.

"Make a wish." Harry said.

They both blew on the dust and it faded away. Suddenly a banged sounded on the door and lighting struck outside. A few more bangs and the door fell off its hinges.

Harry and Hollyn hid behind the fireplace. A giant man stepped through the empty doorway.

"Sorry about that." The man turned and threw the door back up.

"I demanded that you leave at once, sir! You are breaking and entering!" Vernon held a shot gun ready to fire.

The huge man walked over to him. "Dry up, Dursley, you great prune." He bent the barrel of the gun and a shot came from the gun and went into the ceiling.

"Mind, I haven't seen you since you was a baby, Harry, you're a bit more along than I would have expected, particularly 'round the middle." The man placed his hand in front of his torso. "Now where's your sister?" He asked.

"I-I'm not Harry." Dudley stuttered.

"I-I am." Harry stepped out from behind the chimney.

Hollyn stuck her head out. "Hi." She gave a weak smile and held up her hand.

"Oh, well, of course you are. Got something for the both of you. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point, but I imagine it'll taste just the same." He pulled out a white box with a thin purple ribbon tied around it. "Baked it myself, words and all." He said proudly.

Harry opened the box and found a a cake with pink icing. In green icing it read HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY & HOLLYN.

"Thank you." Harry set the cake aside.

"It's not everyday you young ones turn 11, now it is, eh?" He sat on the couch and held his pink umbrella up to the fire. Suddenly flames came from the tip and the wood lit on fire.

"Excuse me, but...who are you?" Harry asked.

"Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Of course, you'll know all about Hogwarts."

Hollyn remembered the name on one of the many letters they had received. "Um, no." She answered and shook her head.

"No?" He repeated. "Blimey, Hollyn, didn't you ever wonder where your mom and dad learned it all?"

"Learned what?" Harry asked.

"You're a wizard and you're a witch."

"I'm a what?"

"A wizard, and a thumpin' good 'un, I'd wager, once you train up a little."

"What?"

"No. You've made a mistake. I mean..." Harry looked at his sister. "We're...we're just us."

"Well, just you, did you ever make anything happen, anything you could explain, when you were angry or scared?"

They thought back to the incident with the snake at the zoo.

"Hmm." Hagrid nodded. He reached into his enormous coat and pulled out two letters identical to the ones that had invaded their house a week ago.

"Dear Mr. Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry."

"Mine says the same." Hollyn added and looked over her own letter.

"They will not be going, I tell you!" Vernon ran over to face Hagrid. "We swore when we took them in, we'd put a stop to all this rubbish!"

"You knew?" Hollyn questioned.

"You knew all along and you never told us?" Harry looked at Petunia.

"Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was." Petunia spat the words out. "Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. "We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful?" I was the only one to see her for what she was...a freak. And then she met that Potter, and then she had you two, and I knew you would be the same, just as strange, just as...abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up, and we got landed with you."

"Blown up?" Harry and Hollyn chorused. "You told me my parents died in a car crash!" Harry accused.

"A car crash?" Hagrid repeated. "A car crash kill Lily and James Potter?"

"We had to say something." Petunia shrugged.

"It's an outrage! It's a scandal!"

"They'll not be going." Vernon insisted once more.

"Oh? And I suppose a great muggle like yourself is gonna stop them, are you?" Hagrid taunted.

"Muggle?" Harry turned to Hagrid.

"Non-magic folk." Hagrid said like it was obvious. "These two have had their names down ever since they were born! They're going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and they'll be under the finest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen...Albus Dumbledore."

"I'll not pay to have some crackpot old fool teach them magic tricks!" Vernon exclaimed.

Hagrid threateningly raised his umbrella. "Never...insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me." His gaze moved to Dudley who was slurping up the cake made for the twins. Hagrid waved his umbrella and a pink, curly tail came from Dudley's pajama pants.

Everyone started screaming.

"Well, ahem, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic."

"Ok." The twins nodded. "Ooh," Hagrid looked down at his watch, "we're a bit behind schedule. Best be off." He pulled down the door again. "Unless you'd rather stay, of course."

Choosing between going with a stranger to a magical school and staying with those stubby pigs was one of the easiest choice they had ever made.